Woman admits to stealing from blind man

A Santa Clara woman was given a conditional discharge after pleading guilty to stealing $6,000 from an elderly, blind man she was responsible for taking care of.

Lorenza Chavarria, 61, was charged with larceny of more than $2,500 but less than $20,000, a third-degree felony, on July 21, 2016, after the man’s grandson discovered more than $6,000 in cash missing from his grandfather’s savings.

According to the affidavit for criminal summons, the man’s grandson contacted Silver City police on July 25, 2016. Since the grandfather spoke mainly Spanish, the grandson translated for him. He told the officer his grandfather kept more than $12,000 in a bag in a jacket in a closet. He said his grandfather told him on July 21 that there was money missing from the bag. He said his grandfather, who is legally blind, noticed that the bag was lighter than normal. The grandson said he had counted the money a year ago and there was more than $12,000 in the bag. He said his grandfather doesn’t keep any ledgers but just saves his money and doesn’t spend it. He said when he counted the money on July 21, 2016, there was only $1,000 in the bag. He said Chavarria is his grandfather’s caretaker and was alone in the house for an hour on July 21 when his grandpa was at the Grinder Mill eating lunch.

He told police he confronted Chavarria on July 24, 2016, and she admitted to stealing $6,000 from his grandfather. He said he recorded the conversation with her and he made the recording available to police.

Police interviewed Chavarria on July 26 and she told them she had “borrowed $6,000” from the man and was going to pay him back. Police asked her if the man knew she had taken the money and she told them no, she was going to put it back without him knowing. The officer asked if she had made any payments to him yet, and she said no, she was going to start on the first. She told police the reason she took the money is because she was in a financial bind.

Chavarria was charged with larceny of more than $2,500 but less than $20,000, a third-degree felony, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in the Department of Corrections. However, on March 9, she received a conditional discharge if she successfully completes three years of probation, meaning the felony charge will be dismissed and she will not have a felony conviction on her record. She was also required to pay restitution to the man in the amount of $6,000, which was paid on Feb. 28, 2017.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney John Holguin for the state, and overseen by District Court Judge J.C. Robinson.

Chavarria was represented by attorney David Lopez, of Lopez, Dietzel, Perkins and Wallace, through the firm’s contract as public defenders, after she was determined to be indigent.